The Golden Master
by EMPFangirl02
Summary: After Wu's ominous warning, the Ninja wizards now have to collect the Golden Weapons before the Overlord. Will they get all four in time? Read to find out!
1. Where is it?

**Where is It?**

* * *

It had been months since Wu's ominous warning: _The Overlord has begun gathering the Golden Weapons. If the he collects all four, he will become the Golden Master, and then, there will be no stopping him._

But the problem was, I had no idea where to even start looking for these Golden Weapons, and nobody else seemed to either. I stayed at school all break until sixth year started and I still had no leads. Zane was researching right now, but it wasn't looking good.

And of course, as soon as I finished talking to Wu, he passed out on the steps. I visited him at the Infirmary every day, but he's always sleeping. We were completely lost. Meanwhile, the Overlord was getting closer and closer to becoming the most powerful being in all of Ninjago.

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. I just didn't know what to do.

"It'll be okay, Kai," Nya told me.

"Yeah, we'll come up with something. We always do," Jay added. I glanced up to see everyone else nod in agreement.

I sighed. "But we have no leads, no clues, no nothing! I even asked the other Resistance members. The only person who could help is Wu and he's knocked out cold."

"What about my dad?" Lloyd asked.

"He's been too busy," I replied. Since Chen was gone and Wu was out of commission, Garmadon had gone back to being Headmaster. I thought we could handle this problem on our own without bothering him, but clearly I was wrong. "I'll ask him after class though," I told Lloyd.

"See, Kai," Cole said. "We're going to make it." He noticed my untouched food. "Cake?"

I laughed. Good to see some things stayed the same while the rest of the world fell apart. "No thanks."

He shrugged. "Suit yourself."

I looked over at Zane, his nose buried in a book. "Anything?" I asked hopefully.

"Not yet." I sighed. He'd been saying that for the past two months. Zane glanced up at me. "Tomorrow, I will check my father's library."

I nodded. "Sounds good. By the way, how is your dad?" I could use some regular news; this whole golden mess was driving me crazy.

"He is…not well," Zane admitted. "My father is old, and with the additional stress…I fear he may not be with us much longer." His hands quivered, shaking his book.

"I'm sorry." I didn't mean to upset my friend. Nya put her hand on his shoulder and gave him a squeeze.

"Death is a natural process," Zane said. "But I can not imagine life without my father."

I nodded. "Nya and I lost our parents when we were little. You look up to them and you think they'll always be there, but…" I trailed off. This wasn't helping.

"When my mother died, I didn't know what I was going to do," Cole added quietly. "My dad didn't even act sad. He just sang and danced like nothing ever happened. I felt like I was the only one who actually cared about her."

I stared at him. At least Nya and I had each other, but man, I couldn't imagine. "Cole…"

He shrugged. "He told me later that singing and dancing made him feel closer to her, but still. Those were the worse days of my life. It wasn't until I became a wizard that I got my purpose back."

"My birth parents didn't even want me," Jay whispered, playing with his scarf. "They just left me on someone's doorstep."

"We've all gone through hardships," Lloyd said. "My dad was a convicted criminal and my mom left me with Wu, but we pushed through. And that makes us who we are today. Death is hard, but we're always here for you, Zane."

I blinked. "When did you get so wise?" I asked Lloyd.

He grinned. "When Wu's your uncle, you pick up a few things," he replied.

"Thank you," Zane said suddenly. "All of you. I am glad you are my friends."

"Me too," I agreed.

"Group hug!" Cole announced and we all piled in. I took a deep breath and smiled. This is what I was fighting for. To protect all of the precious people in my life. I squeezed tight. We'd find those Golden Weapons and then we'll get rid of the Overlord once and for all.

The bell rang and we broke apart. "I'll let you know what Garmadon says at dinner," I said.

"See you, Kai," Nya called.

"See you then," everyone chorused.

After my last class, I went straight to Garmadon's office. His door was closed, so I knocked, but I got no answer. I sighed and sat down next to the door. I guess I could work on my essay while I waited.

"You'll be there awhile," someone said. "He won't even see _me_."

I jerked my head up. Oh. It was the custodian, the man who called himself the Brown Ninja. I remembered way back in first year I was actually afraid of him. I found out a few years later he wasn't even a wizard; Wu just kept the man around to take care of the school.

"I can wait," I told him, then I went back to my essay.

"Alright," he said. "But don't say I didn't warn you."

I just shook my head and kept writing.

* * *

A few hours later, all my homework was done, but Garmadon's door was still firmly closed. I slammed my book shut. "Forget this," I muttered.

I stood up and rapped on the door.

"For the last time, Dareth, I'm not going to give you that promotion—"

"Um, I'm not Dareth. It's Kai. I was hoping to talk to you." I waited until eventually I started counting the seconds. I made it to a hundred before he finally answered.

"Come in," he sighed. I pushed the door open and for a moment I didn't even see Garmadon because he was buried behind stacks of paperwork.

"I used to envy my brother, but now," he gestured to the mountains of forms and packets, "he can have his job back for all I care."

"Speaking of Wu, when he came back he said something about collecting Golden Weapons. Do you know where they are?" I asked hopefully.

"My father created them to control four of the main elements, but he never told me anything." Garmadon replied bitterly. "Wu was always the favorite. He got the school, the wand, the all-powerful golden weapons…" he trailed off and shook his head. "Sorry, kid."

I sighed. "Seems nobody knows anything about them. Thanks anyways." I turned to leave, but Garmadon called after me.

"I do know that Wu hid the Sword of Fire somewhere in this school, just in case. Of course he never told me where, but…"

I grinned. That was the best news I'd gotten in the past two months. "Thank you! I'll start looking right away."

I sprinted out of the room and bolted down toward the library. "Guys!" I yelled and everyone jumped.

"Kai, keep it down," Cole said.

"Seriously, this _is_ a library," Jay complained.

I sighed and sat down next to Nya. "Whatever. But guess what?"

"What?" my sister replied.

"I know where the first weapon is: right here in the school! How great is that?"

"That is convenient," Zane replied. "However, the school is quite large. It could take some time to locate the weapon."

"Especially when we don't know anything about it," Jay added.

"Well, that's not entirely true," I said. "Garmadon said the weapon was called the Sword of Fire, and Wu was the one who hid it. So it probably has something to do with the Fire House or maybe it's in Wu's office someplace."

"I don't know," Lloyd said. "This is my uncle we're talking about. Isn't that a bit too obvious?"

"Probably, but does anyone have any better ideas?" I waited, but all I got was silence. "Exactly."

Everyone still looked uneasy. Finally, Lloyd broke the silence. "Why don't we ask my uncle? He's the one who hid it in the first place."

I clenched my fist, but took a deep breath and slowly tried to relax. Lloyd's new found wisdom was really starting to get on my nerves. Honestly, he was only a fourth year and I had been saving the school for the past six years. I think I knew what I was doing.

"You can try," I finally said. "But every time I've been in there, he's been asleep."

Lloyd didn't reply. Maybe I was a bit snappier then I meant to be. "Look," I told him. "You can ask Wu if you want. But meanwhile, the rest of us are going to start searching the school. We have to find these weapon before the Overlord does."

"Do we even have to find this sword?" Jay asked. "I mean, it's already in the school, so isn't it already pretty safe?"

"Wu said we have to gather all the weapons," I replied. "So yes."

"Why?" Cole demanded.

"I don't know! That's just what he said!" I snapped. "Besides, maybe if we find the sword, it'll give us a clue to where the other weapons are."

"That is highly unlikely," Zane said.

I growled. "You know what? Fine. You guys can sit here and argue about this all you want. I'll go find the Sword of Fire by myself." I stood up and stomped out of the library. I can't believe them! I came bringing good news and all they do is complain and ask pointless questions.

"Kai!" Nya called. I ignored her. "Come back!"

I slammed the door behind me. Smoke poured off me in waves, and when I looked down my hands were flaming. I tried to take a couple deep breaths, but steam poured out of my mouth and nose. I needed to calm down. I broke into a run and burst outside. Maybe some fresh air would help me.

A cool breeze blew and slowly, my hands stopped burning. I still felt hot and angry though. I just wanted to stop the Overlord. Why couldn't they see that? I sighed and sat down on the steps. It was here that Wu just appeared out of nowhere and told me that I had to gather the weapons.

I just didn't know what to do. I watched the sun slowly sink below the mountains. It looked like the whole countryside was on fire, covering Ninjago in a warm light. Especially the gap in between two large mountains, forming a golden crescent. I sighed and leaned against the stones. I should probably go back and apologize to everyone. I didn't mean to get so upset, it just kind of happened. I want to keep everyone safe.

I closed my eyes and basked in the evening sun. It was beautiful spring weather out here. Maybe I'd go back in a few minutes…

_A shrill cry pierced the air. I looked up and there was the falcon that seemed to like hanging around the school. I was at the base of the school and there it was circling around the mountain until it disappeared behind the veil. _

_Suddenly, I was deep inside Ouroboros and the falcon dropped the Sorting Hat in my lap. I reached inside and there was a golden sword. I lifted up and flames wrapped around the blade. I gasped. "The Sword of Fire!"_

* * *

**AN: First chapter of the Golden Master-hope you like it! Thank you to my faithful reviewers! You guys rock!**


	2. Sword of Fire

**The Sword of Fire**

* * *

I jerked awake and saw that it was dark outside. I guess I was just dreaming, but it felt so real, like a memory. I thought back to the day I fought the Great Devourer. The sword I used was made of gold and I was pretty sure it was flaming while I used it. Could it be…

A chirp interrupted my thoughts. It was the falcon, sitting in a cherry tree. "The sword is in the Sorting Hat?" I asked it. The bird just tilted its head.

"No," I muttered to myself. "Every first year puts that hat on their head, there's no way someone could a hide a weapon in there."

The falcon fluttered next to me. It was like it was waiting for me to figure this out. "But it was the Sword of Fire I used to kill the Great Devourer, right?"

It chirped. "I'll take that as a yes," I said. "So, how did I get it? Let's see, you gave me the hat." The bird chirped again.

"And you came when I asked for help."

The falcon chirped and fluttered its wings. "So the sword comes to those who need help, and then it shows up inside the hat?"

I could swear the bird nodded before it took off. I grinned and jumped to my feet. Perfect. I sprinted back to the school, but of course, the doors were locked. I tried to use Alohomora, but they stayed firmly closed. I growled. I refused to wait any longer. I ran around the entire building, but the whole place was on lock down. Which I guess made sense with the Overlord loose and all, but seriously?

I saw Garmadon's old hut out of the corner of my eye. An idea slowly whirled around in my head. I wonder… I walked over and peaked inside. Yes! He still had those old brooms in there. I grabbed one and took off. I looked around for an open window, and there was the falcon sitting on a windowsill.

"Thanks, buddy," I said. I reached out my hand and it actually let me pet it before taking off to who knows where. I pushed the window open all the way and slipped inside.

"_Lumos,_" I whispered, and looking around, I guessed I was in Master Wu office. I grinned. Way to go falcon. A few minutes later, I spotted the Sorting Hat on top of a shelf. I snatched it and took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

"I need help."

Nothing happened.

"Come on! I need your help." I tried shaking the hat, peeking inside, and I even put in on my head. Still nothing.

"Why won't you work? Don't you get it? I need the Sword of Fire before the Overlord finds it in its actual hiding place." The hat didn't respond.

"Arrrraaagh!" I bellowed, chucking it as far away from me as could. What was I thinking? A hat couldn't help me save my friends.

A clang reverberated around the room. Did that actually work? I picked up the old hat, and sure enough, there it was. The Sword of Fire. I grabbed it and pulled it out. Suddenly, the blade caught on fire, just like back in Ouroboros. Sweet. One down, three more to go. Unfortunately, I had no idea where to start looking. Zane was right. The sword held absolutely no clues to where the next weapon was located.

Oh well. This was a good start. I couldn't wait to tell everyone in the morning. The others. I groaned. I blew up in their faces and completely ignored them. I shook my head. Hopefully they wouldn't be too upset.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––—  
"Where the heck did you go?!"

"You can't just take off like that!"

"We were trying to help you. Why did you yell at us?"

"We were all so worried, we looked everywhere and we couldn't find you, it was like you dropped off the face of the planet! I panicked!"

"Panicked is an understatement. Jay nearly passed out he was so worried about you. Not cool, man."

"I searched the entire Fire House and nobody had seen you anywhere!"

"You scared us so much! What were you thinking, Kai?"

"Why did you leave us?"

I winced as everyone yelled at me. Finally, they had to pause to take a breath.

"Can I talk now?" I asked.

Nya glared at me. "No! I'm not done yet. You can't just explode like that and then up and leave! You didn't even give us chance to respond! We're your friends, Kai! Do you realize what you put us—what you put me through?!" She stopped, panting heavily.

"Guys, I'm sorry about yesterday. I didn't mean to scare you."

They still looked like they were about to murder me.

"Look," I continued. "I'm actually really sorry. I don't know what came over me yesterday. I guess I'm just really stressed about the whole Overlord thing and saving the world and I feel like I have to do it, because I always do it. I mean, I have you guys, but— I don't know." I sighed and looked the floor.

"I'm really, really sorry," I finished. I could still feel everyone's eyes boring into me, like I was a stain on their existence. How did things get this bad? Yesterday morning we were all friends and now everyone hated me.

The silence was crushing me. I had to say something. "And then after I left, I went outside to get some air, and then I fell asleep, and by the time I woke up it was dark and all the doors were locked. I'm really sorry I scared you guys, but, um," I reached into my kimono and slowly drew out the Sword of Fire. "I found the Golden Weapon, so… yeah."

"Seriously?" Jay finally said. "You got locked out of the school, and then you just happened to find a magical glowing sword inside that stuffy old hat?"

"Yep."

"How did you find it?" Cole asked.

"Well, you know those old brooms Garmadon has?"

"No," Lloyd answered.

"It was while you were possessed," Jay explained.

"I took one and I saw this falcon sitting in an open window which happened to be Wu's office. From there I found the hat and got the sword." I set the blade on fire and spun it in a few lazy arcs. "Pretty cool, right?"

"Technically, it is quite hot, about 2000 degrees Fahrenheit," Zane said, but he did look impressed.

"It is pretty awesome," Cole admitted.

"Only three more to go," Lloyd said.

"Just don't go taking off by yourself again," Jay added.

I grinned. "Don't worry, I won't."

Nya still didn't look convinced. "Don't think this makes up for just taking off like you did. You can't save the world all by yourself, Kai, and I don't want to lose you again."

I took a deep breath, and slowly let it go. Why couldn't we just make up already? I tried to keep my voice steady, but I don't think I did a very good job. "How many times do I have to say I'm sorry? I get that I hurt you, but can we please move on?"

"Until you finally get it through your thick skull that you're not the hero you think you are!" Nya shouted, forcing me to stumble back.

"Nya," Jay hissed. "He said he was sorry, it's okay now."

"No it isn't!" she snapped at him, and then she turned back to me. I gulped.

"You think you're invincible and you can save everyone but you can't! Last year you nearly lost all your magic because you trying to 'help' the Resistance, and then you almost got killed by giant snake! You can't save everyone, Kai!"

I slammed against a bookshelf, and the sword flew out of my hand, but my sister just kept coming until she was inches from my face. I could feel the spit flying out of her mouth, but I didn't dare wipe it away. Finally, she stopped.

"That doesn't mean I can't try," I whispered quietly. Her head snapped up and for a moment I thought she was going to start yelling at me again.

But she didn't, so I took a deep breath and kept going, "I know that I messed up last year, and that was one of the worst moments of my life."

Nya didn't say anything, but I could tell she was still upset, so I reached out and slowly grabbed her hand. She stared at me, but she didn't pull away.

"But I'm not going to stop helping people," I told her. "I'm not going to let the Overlord win, and as long as I'm alive, I'm not going to let any of you get hurt, not because I'm a hero, but because I love you."

She sniffed. "I know you do, but... try and be a little more careful, okay? And let us take care of you too."

I smiled and pulled my little sister into a big hug. "I will."

Cole cleared his throat and I looked over Nya's shoulder and everyone was staring at us. She pulled away and we slowly rejoined the group.

"Are we good now?" Cole asked.

"I think so," I said, looking at my sister to make sure. She nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief. "So, about the next weapon?"

Everyone looked each other. "We were mostly concerned about you," Lloyd admitted. "So, we're pretty much back to square one."

I groaned. "Great."

"Not entirely," Zane said. "I found a book that mentions the legend of the Golden Weapons."

"Really?" I asked.

He nodded. "The weapons are the Sword of Fire, the Scythe of Quakes, the Nunchucks of Lightning, and the Shurikens of Ice. They were created by the Golden Wizard to combat the powers of the Overlord. Once he was defeated, they were hidden throughout Ninjago."

"Then how are we going to get our hands on them? We can't go trekking across the country looking for three weapons!" Jay cried. "What about school? What about my life?"

"Time turner?" Lloyd suggested.

I laughed, thinking back to third year. "No. That didn't work out too well last time."

"We can ask Master Wu," Nya suggested.

"We can try," I said. "But remember, he got hit by a time spell, so don't expect too much."

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––—

We made our way to the Infirmary and there was Master Wu, sleeping, like usual. Lloyd walked next to his cot and we joined him, waiting for our teacher to do something. He didn't. Just snored.

"Uncle Wu?" Lloyd asked tentatively. "It's me, your nephew. We need to talk to you."

Absolutely nothing. Cole tried shaking his shoulder, gently at first and then with more force. "Master Wu?" he asked.

"WAKE UP!" Jay yelled.

"Keep it down," Mistaké scolded, appearing from the back of the room. "This is a hospital. And Wu needs his rest. He'll wake up when he's ready."

I sighed, "And when will that be?"

"When he's ready," Mistaké repeated. "Now go."

Well, at least we tried. I turned to leave, but Lloyd was still standing next to Master Wu.

"Come on, Lloyd," I called.

"Coming," he replied, but he still didn't move. I frowned and hung by the entrance. If he didn't join me soon, I'd come after him.

"Uncle, we could really use your help," Lloyd said, so softly I could hardly hear him. "We don't know where to look for the Golden Weapons. Where did you hide them?"

Lloyd waited a minute, but finally he realized that he wasn't doing any good. He sighed and looked at Wu one last time. I came over and put my hand on his shoulder.

"Hey," I said. "It'll be okay. We'll figure it out."

"Yeah, but like you said, we don't have that much time. We need to find the Golden Weapons as soon as possible."

"So let's go back to the library and keep looking," I suggested. Lloyd dropped his chin and didn't move.

"Hey," I said, ruffling his hair gently and he laughed.

"Alright, I'm coming," he said. We started toward the door, when Lloyd froze. I turned and Master Wu was awake and clutching Lloyd's arm.

"There are so many things I need to tell you," the old man rasped. "So many lessons…"

"Uncle, the Golden Weapons, where are they?" Lloyd asked.

"…Climb the tallest mountains, when the sun sets there, the gap shines like gold. Laughter is good for the soul. Learn to laugh, Lloyd. And, don't forget, when you find the Scythe of Quakes, there is a guardian…"

"Yes, a guardian?" I asked quickly, but Wu was already asleep. We looked at each other.

"Well," I said at last, "Looks like we got our next clue."

* * *

**AN: Things are getting real here. Hope you enjoyed and thanks to my faithful reviewers! See you next time!**


	3. Gap Between the Mountains

**Gap Between Mountains**

* * *

**"**What does that even mean?" Jay demanded. Lloyd and I told everyone else what Wu told us, but from the looks on everyone's faces, we're no better off than we were before.

"There are several mountain ranges in Ninjago. There is no telling which one holds the Scythe of Quakes," Zane added.

"But which one is the tallest?" I asked.

"The Wailing Alps," Zane replied.

I grinned. "Then that's where we'll find the scythe."

"How do you know?" Cole asked.

"Because Wu said to climb the _tallest_ mountains."

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Nya asked. "Let's go."

Everyone nodded, except for Jay, who was fiddling with his scarf. "What about school? Or what if we all get trapped and no one knows were we are and we die out in the middle of nowhere—"

I cut him off firmly, "That won't happen. We'll be fine."

"No, Jay's right," Lloyd said. "We can't just take off. We need to tell someone."

"Who?" I asked. "If we tell one of the teachers they probably won't let us go all."

"Maybe that'd be best," Lloyd said. Jay nodded in agreement.

"The adults could handle it better than we could," Cole said. "I mean they are full grown wizards."

I wasn't quite sure. "But they're already busy enough as it is. Who knows how long it'll take for them to a get a party together and find replacements for their classes? By the time they leave, the Overlord could already have the scythe and be that much closer to becoming the Golden Master."

"So what do we do?" Lloyd asked. "We can't disappear without telling someone."

I thought for a moment before responding. I get where he was coming from, but time was of the essence.

At last, I said, "If you really want, we could leave a note, or maybe…" I didn't really want to suggest this; it just felt wrong, but I couldn't get the idea out of my head.

"Maybe?" Nya prompted.

"Maybe someone could stay behind," I finished slowly. "That way, if we don't come back within a day, they could get help and they could also cover for us while we're gone. Plus they could guard the Sword of Fire, just in case."

I waited for protests to break out across the circle, but surprisingly, none came. In fact, Zane and Lloyd actually looked like they agreed with me.

"So who should it be?" Lloyd asked.

"I believe you, Jay or myself would be the most logical choice," Zane answered.

"Wait, you're actually considering this?" Cole demanded. "We can't just split up."

"Bad things happen when we're separated," Jay agreed. "The Great Devourer, the Overlord's Return, when Kai lost his magic, all bad things! Why can't we just leave a note instead?"

Nya shook her head. "A note's too random. Anyone could find it, and there's no telling if that person would actually come help."

"And even if a teacher did find it, they'd probably try and stop us, which would waste more time," I added.

"So we're actually doing this?" Cole asked.

I looked around, just to make sure. Zane, Lloyd, and Nya all nodded. Jay and Cole still looked hesitant.

"It's our only option," Lloyd insisted.

"All right then, but I still think it's a bad idea," Jay said.

We all looked at Cole. "Fine," he muttered. "I'm in."

I sighed. "Okay, I guess we're really doing this. So who wants to stay behind?"

"I'll do it," Jay offered. Nya opened her mouth, but he cut her off. "It's for the best. I won't be able to do much anyways, and I'll be safer here, at school."

"Jay," Nya said softly. "Are you sure?"

He smiled and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. I glared at Jay, but he ignored me. "I'm sure," he replied.

Nya gave him a tight hug, and I was tempted to force them apart, but since my sister was the one who started it, and I promised I would let her make her own decisions; I decided to let it slide.

"So when do we leave?" Cole asked.

"Tonight," I said. "Meet by Garmadon's old place, and from there, we'll fly to the Wailing Alps."

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––—

"Are you sure these old brooms will be able to carry us all the way to the Wailing Alps?" Nya asked, eyeing hers doubtfully.

"I'm sure it'll be fine. Right, Zane?" I called.

The android had already mounted his broom and steered around to face me. "They should suffice."

Lloyd dropped his broom in the grass. "_Should_?" he asked. Zane nodded in response.

"That means it'll be fine," I assured Lloyd. "He's wouldn't be agreeing to this if he didn't think it was safe."

"Are you sure?" He stared up at me anxiously and I put my hand on his shoulder.

"I'm positive," I said. "Now, let's get you on this thing." I picked up his broomstick and set it in front of him. When I let go, it floated in front of him. Lloyd hopped on and I helped adjust his grip and taught him how to steer.

"And there you go," I finished as Lloyd completed a small circle around me.

"You guys ready?" Nya asked.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Lloyd muttered.

"Yeah," I called.

"Then let's go," she said, and with that she kicked off, Cole and Zane close behind. Lloyd still looked a little anxious. He was gripping his handle so hard, his knuckles were completely white.

"Hey, you got this," I said.

Lloyd nodded.

"Now let's do this." And together we took off after our friends.

Lloyd wobbled in the air and started to drop behind.

"Gah!" he cried, nearly slipping off the back of the broom. I spun around and snatched his handle to try and straighten him.

"Remember, pulling on the handle steers the broom. You have to keep it steady," I told him.

Lloyd panted, trying to catch his breath. "I— I almost…I could've fallen. I could've died."

He was shaking so bad, I was worried he might actually fall off. I grabbed his shoulder and gave him a squeeze. He flinched, but he didn't push me away.

"But you didn't," I pointed out. "You can do this, Lloyd, and I'll be right next to you."

"O-okay," he replied.

"Now, come on, or we're going to get left behind," I said.

Lloyd nodded, but he kept looking down, like he was measuring the distance to the ground. It was less than twenty feet away, but from the look on his face, it might as well been a hundred. I frowned.

"Look at me," I said. Lloyd jerked his head up and stared at me wide-eyed.

"I won't let you fall," I promised. He looked away and didn't say anything.

"Hey, you trust me right?" I asked, giving him another squeeze.

Lloyd nodded and I let go of his shoulder.

"Then, let's go. Hold the handle firmly, and tilt it back a little, you don't want to jerk it too much. Now, lean forward, more, a bit more. There you go! You're doing it!" I cried.

Lloyd grinned weakly. "I guess I am."

"Come on, we got to catch up with the others, lean forward a little more, that's right. You want to get level with the handle."

Turns out they were waiting for us, but it still felt good to feel the wind in my face and race through the night. We should do this more often— when the fate of the world doesn't hang in the balance, of course. A few hours later, we approached the Wailing Alps.

"Well, here we are," Nya said.

"So where's the scythe?" Cole asked.

"Uncle Wu said it was in a gap that shines like gold," Lloyd replied.

"And that's… where?" Cole repeated.

"We must wait for sunrise, then the location of the scythe will be revealed," Zane answered simply.

I sighed. "And how long will that take?"

He tilted his head, probably running some algorithms or another. "Approximately, two hours and twenty-three minutes," he said at last.

"Great. What'll we do till then?" I asked.

"Land?" Lloyd suggested. "I don't about you, but I don't want to sit on these brooms any longer than I have to."

"Okay," I replied, and together we touched down on the snowy mountainside.

The wind howled and whipped right through my kimono. I shivered and set my hands on fire to try and keep warm. Cole had made a little earth shelter/cave thing, but it didn't do much to keep the cold.

"Hey, bring that fire over here would you?" Nya asked, teeth chattering like crazy. I quickly sat down next to her and she huddled up next to me, just like when we were little. I put my arm around her, careful not set her on fire, and focused on providing heat, not flames.

"Hmmm," Nya hummed softly. "That hits the spot."

I smiled and pulled her closer. "No problem."

"Can you warm me up too?" Lloyd asked hopefully. "I don't need a hug or anything, but…"

"Sure," I replied. I used my free hand to start a small blaze in front of him. Before long, everyone was gathered around the fire, even Zane, although he didn't look cold in the slightest. I think he just enjoyed the company. And that's where we stayed, all huddled up around the fire until the sun rose.

Nya was the first to break away. "Well, we should probably get going," she said.

"Alright," I sighed, pushing myself to my feet. We stretched and loosened our stiff muscles and then we walked outside. Instantly, we were hit with an icy blast of wind to the face. I stumbled back and Lloyd nearly fell over.

"Let's get this over with," Cole said. "Now, where is this gap?"

We looked around, but from our vantage point, it was hard to see much of anything. I stared up at the peaks, but they all seemed plain white to me. Where could this gap be?

"Maybe we should look from the air?" Nya suggested. I nodded and we mounted our brooms. But even from the air, all the mountain peaks still looked the same. Several long minutes passed and still nothing.

"Are you sure these are the Wailing Alps?" I asked.

"Affirmative," Zane replied.

"Then where's the scythe?" Cole demanded.

"Guys, look!" Lloyd cried. I followed his gaze, and two peaks were emitting a pale glow. As we watched, the slopes were transformed into shimmering golden landscape.

"Which one is it?" Cole asked. "Now, all the peaks are glowing!"

I looked at the first two peaks to glow, and the more I looked at it, the more the gap between them looked like a crescent, almost like the head of scythe.

"Right there," I said, pointing out the gap to others. "Let's go."

We flew over and landed in the middle of the small crescent, but if the scythe was here, Master Wu did a great job of hiding it. The gap looked like the rest of the mountainsides: snowy, cold, and absolutely barren.

"Are you sure this the right place?" Cole demanded.

"We followed Master Wu's clues exactly. This has to be the right place," I replied, but Cole still looked doubtful.

"Wu didn't want these weapons to be found," Nya snapped. "They're not going to be sitting out in the open on a golden platter. Stop complaining and help us look for them."

Cole sighed, but he joined us in the snow. We split up and searched the whole valley from top to bottom, but we all came back with nothing. I made another bonfire and we sat in silence. It had already been several hours, and if we didn't come back by nightfall, Jay would go to the adults and all this would be for nothing.

Finally, Zane broke the silence. "The weapon is called the Scythe of Quakes, correct?"

"That's what Uncle Wu said," Lloyd replied.

"Then perhaps Cole's powers will reveal the weapons location," Zane suggested.

"Like an earthquake?" I asked. Zane nodded in response.

Cole shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

He stood up, closed his eyes, and took a couple deep breaths. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open and his arms glowed and cracked like lava was flowing threw his veins. Cole slammed his fists into the ground and the whole mountain shook. I slammed into the cold snow and all the air was knocked out of my lungs.

The whole earth rumbled and the ground cracked and broke apart. I rolled to avoid falling into a giant fissure. I tried to stand up, but I couldn't get keep my balance. Then, as quickly as it started, the world went still. I jumped to my feet and glanced around. Only Cole was still standing.

"Is everyone okay?" I called.

I got a few groans in response, but other than a few bruises, or dents in Zane's case, everybody was okay. We gathered back together on our little earth island surrounded by giant cracks in the ground.

I peered done into one of the fissures and caught a glimpse of something shiny down below. I grinned. "Guys, I think we found the scythe."

* * *

**AN: Yay, they found another weapon! But the journey is far from over! Thank you to those who have reviewed! I really appreciate the support!**


	4. Interlude Nadakhan (POV Jay)

**Interlude: Nadakhan (Jay POV)**

* * *

Jay couldn't sleep. He just kept thinking about the others over and over again. Was Nya okay? Were they all safe? Had they found the scythe? Had they gotten stuck in an avalanche? What if they were dying right now and they were counting on him to save them?

Jay took a shuddering breath and rolled over. _Don't think about that_, Jay told himself. _They'll be alright._ But what if… And it started all over again.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––—

"Hey, you okay, dude?"

Jay jolted awake and sparking like mad, nearly electrocuting Fred, his roommate.

"Whoa! Easy there!" he cried.

Jay blinked, and he realized it was just a nightmare. He sighed. Every time he had fallen asleep, he got plagued with dream after dream, terror after terror. And now that it was morning, there was no chance of getting any rest. He groaned and flopped back on his bunk.

"Um, you alright? You were kinda talking in your sleep. Something about Nya and the Wailing Alps, and everybody dying?"

Jay faced palmed. Great. Now he was spilling secrets in his sleep. As if he didn't have enough to worry about already. "Yeah…I'm fine. Just a nightmare."

"Okay, then," Fred said. "See you in class."

"See you," Jay muttered, even though the door had already closed. He sighed. Hopefully the others were okay, safe, and on their way back home. Jay pushed himself out of bed. No use just lying around. A few minutes later, he was up and heading toward the common room for breakfast. It was going to be a lot lonelier without everyone else though.

Jay grabbed his plate and headed for the library. Even if his friends weren't there, maybe he could do some research on the weapons.

"Maybe I'll do something useful for once," he said. He grabbed a book off the self, near where the group usually sat, and glanced at the title: _Magical Solutions to Your Insomnia. _Jay sighed dramatically and tossed the book on the ground, "Or not."

"So, you want to be useful, do you?" A deep voice asked.

Jay yelped, dropping his lunch tray on the floor. A strange man was standing in the library. He didn't look like he was from Ninjago; he was wearing strange green armor, was bald except for one long black ponytail, and had orange-brown skin.

"Who are you?" Jay asked. "How did you get in here?"

He laughed. "My name is Nadakhan, and let's just say… being a metamorphmagus has its advantages." As he spoke, his appearance completely changed until he looked exactly like Master Wu.

Jay gasped, and Nadakhan reverted back to his old appearance. "But I'm not here to talk about myself. I came to help you."

Despite the warm smile on the man's face, Jay doubted that he had any good intentions. "Help me?" Jay asked incredulously.

"Yes, and with this," he slipped a fancy wand with raised ridges on it, almost like a bunch of circles, growing larger as the reached the hilt of the wand. "I can grant you anything your heart desires."

Jay stared at the wand, but to him, it just looked like a piece of fancy wood. "Really?"

"Really," Nadakhan replied. "This is the Elder Wand, infused with the power of creation itself. With this, I can give you fame, fortune, power, whatever you want."

With every word, he drew closer and closer, until Jay was trapped against a bookshelf. He could feel his anxiety kicking in. He was trapped with absolutely no way out, unless he tried to go through the man with the power of creation on his side. Jay swallowed. He needed to buy more time.

"So why use this power on me?" Jay asked. "Why not just give yourself whatever you want?"

Nadakhan smiled. "I am a generous man, helping those less fortunate than myself." Jay stared at him, until he added, "This wand cannot grant what I desire."

"But I thought it could give you anything," Jay countered.

"Unfortunately, it cannot bring back the dead." Nadakhan answered, and Jay thought he caught a glint of sadness in the man's eyes, but then just as quickly it was gone.

"But you have never lost anyone, have you?" he asked. Jay shook his head. "So tell me what you want. Do you want more magic? To be useful in the eyes of your friends? I can make it happen."

Jay bit his lip. He had always wanted to fit in, to be just as good as the rest of his friends, but something was wrong here. Really wrong. Why was he pushing this so much? And how did he know exactly what to say? There had to be a hidden motive or something.

"What do you want from me?" Jay demanded.

"Nothing," Nadakhan assured him, but Jay glared at him. This was all too good to be true.

Nadakhan shrugged and leaned against the bookshelf, putting him inches from Jay's face. Jay's eyes widened, and his heart was hammering its way out of his chest, but he squeezed his scarf and forced himself to relax. _Do it for the others, _Jay thought.

"Well, if you insist," Nadakhan said, and he drew even closer, whispering in Jay's ear. "I would like the location of the Sword of Fire."

Jay shuddered and stumbled back away from the strange man. Good thing he gave the sword to Mistaké after the others left. He had to get out of here. Now. He broke into a run, only to collide with Nadakhan. Jay froze, his breath caught in his throat. The man was smirking. Arms crossed in the perfect picture of ease. This was all part of his master plan, and there was nothing Jay could to do to escape.

"You're working for the Overlord, aren't you?" Jay asked, trying to buy himself time to make his exit. There had to be a way out. There was always a way out. But he was surrounded by two bookshelves, and Nadakhan blocked the path in front of him. A quick glance over his shoulder, to his dismay, Jay realized any chance of help was long out of earshot. He and his friends had chosen a remote corner of the library to plan their dangerous missions without anyone overhearing, and now it was coming back to bite him.

Nadakhan frowned. "I'm a captain. I don't work for anyone. The Overlord simply requested my services in return for a certain payment."

Something clicked in Jay's brain. "He promised to bring someone back for you in exchange for the golden weapons, didn't he?"

"Very perceptive," Nadakhan praised, but there was no warmth to his words. "Now, what will it be? Make. Your. Wish." He took a step with each word, forcing Jay backwards, right into a study table. Jay lost his balance and fell with a crash.

So much for an escape. Nadakhan loomed over him, and now there was no way out, no clever solution to get him out of this mess. This was it. Jay took a deep breath. Might as well go down a hero.

"I'll never tell you," Jay spat.

Nadakhan laughed. "You won't have to," he replied ominously. "Now, I know you're scared, but you don't have to be."

He knelt down and placed his hand on Jay's shoulder. Jay flinched, and Nadakhan smiled. "All you have to do is wish it all away."

Jay shook his head. He wouldn't let Nadakhan get to him. He took a deep breath and yelled with all his might, "I WISH I WASN'T ALONE WITH YOU!"

Nadakhan smirked and stood up. Slowly, he drew out his wand. "Your wish is yours to keep."

In a flash of golden light, Jay and Nadakhan were transported onto a wooden ship filled with pirates.

"This isn't what I wished for!" Jay snapped at Nadakhan, who only laughed.

"You didn't want to be alone, and here you are," Nadakhan replied, gesturing to his crew. "I gave you exactly what you wished for."

Jay crumpled. He'd tried so hard, but now, he'd lost everything. He could only hope the others would come to his rescue.

"Take him to the brig," Nadakhan ordered, and immediately Jay was stripped of his wand, dragged away, and tossed into a black, smelly hole.

Jay threw out his hands to break his fall, but as soon as he landed, a loud crack filled his ears. Seconds later, his arm burned like crazy. Jay moaned and tried to push himself up, but his arm burned, then buckled and Jay crashed to the floor. He shifted his arm and winced. Definitely broken. He must have fallen a good ten/fifteen feet. Jay sighed and rolled over so his face wouldn't be pressed against the moldy floorboards.

Hopefully the others were doing better than he was. Maybe they would come back early, see he was missing, and bust him out of here before nightfall, wherever here was.

Yeah, Jay thought himself, visualizing his daring rescue. Nya would figure out where he was, and then, when they were reunited, she'd be so happy to see him that she would give him a full on kiss, and not even Kai could break them apart.

Jay closed his eyes and smiled. That would be nice. But nightfall came and went, and he was still trapped in the bottom of the brig.

* * *

**AN: Poor Jay. Things are not looking good. Thank you as always to ****JayBomb217 and NaninaDaPanda!**


	5. The Guardian

Chapter 4: The Guardian

Cole made a spiral staircase out of the rock and we made our way into the crack. The large walls loomed on either side, and one look down revealed that I definitely did _not_ want to fall off the stairs.

"How do you think Wu hid the scythe down here?" Cole asked.

"I have no idea," I replied, glancing at Lloyd.

"Don't look at me," he said. "My uncle doesn't tell me everything."

I thought I caught a little bit of bitterness in his tone, but I shook it off. "Well, he does have that Elder Wand," I said. "and it has the powers of creation, so maybe…?"

"You think Wu created this place?" Nya asked.

"It is possible," Zane added.

"Is there anything Wu can't do?" Cole asked.

"Fight the Time Wizards," Lloyd muttered.

"What?" I asked, not quite sure I heard right.

"Nothing," Lloyd said.

Zane began, "He said—"

"I said it was nothing," Lloyd interrupted, shooting a glare at Zane. "Just, Wu left and then he came back struck by that time spell, and now…"

"It'll be alright," I said, putting my hand on his shoulder. "Once we have the Golden Weapons, we'll track down the Reversal Blade and save him."

Lloyd nodded and I smiled. We continued down, no one knowing quite what to say. Heavy silence fell. Well, almost silence. Cole's stomach growled and rumbled every few minutes.

"Sorry," Cole said. "Anyone got any food?"

I stuck my hands in my pockets, but they came out empty. Oops. Even though we planned to be gone the entire day, I completely forgot to bring any food. Even Nya and Zane, the most responsible ones in our group, came up with nothing.

"Sorry, Cole," I said. "I guess we were in such a rush that we completely forgot."

Cole sighed, "It's alright." Right then, his stomach growled, louder than ever, almost as if to say that it was anything but all right. I laughed.

"Let's get the scythe quickly and then we can eat," I promised him.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Cole replied, and he started jumping down the stairs two at a time. I shook my head, and I had to practically run down the stairs to keep up with him. A few minutes later, we came to the bottom, and after looking around; I spotted the scythe not too far away. Cole was already sprinting toward it at top speed.

"Didn't Wu say the scythe was guarded?" Lloyd asked anxiously.

I froze. He did. "COLE!" I shouted. "Come back! It's not safe!"

But it was too late. He had already snatched the scythe and was sprinting back toward us.

"Maybe if we get out of here fast enough…" I began.

A roar echoed around the cave, so loud, covering my ears did nothing to block out the sound, and it kept going, to the point I thought my eardrums were going to burst. Fortunately, the last of the echoes died away, along with the ringing in my ears.

"Or not," Nya finished my sentence dryly. Just then, the sides of the cavern began to crumble. I jumped as a boulder twice my size nearly crushed me.

"RUN!" I shouted. I turned over my shoulder and Cole had tried to throw earth spears at a dark shape was looming over him, getting closer by the minute. I could hear the crash of rocks colliding, but it was still coming. I looked back, and breathed a sigh of relief. Zane and Lloyd had already sprinted back up the steps, but Nya hadn't moved a muscle.

"Come on!" she said.

"You go! Cole needs me," I replied, sprinting in the opposite direction. I wasn't letting some guardian monster hurt my friend.

"Kai!" Nya yelled. "Kai!"

I ignored her and summoned a ball of fire. I skidded to Cole's side and threw fireballs at the shadow. But it kept coming. I grit my teeth.

"Get out of here!" I shouted.

"And leave you by yourself?" Cole retorted. A large, clawed foot came out of the darkness with a thud, causing the canyon to crumble even more.

I growled. "We don't have time for this!"

Cole slammed the scythe into the ground and earthen wall separated us from the monster. I blinked. That works. Cole tugged on my arm and we dashed toward the stairs, or what was left of them.

Boulders had smashed holes and in some cases, completely crumbled most of the steps. I glanced back at Cole, who was bent over double trying catching his breath. I frowned. He'd been using his powers a lot lately. I knew he had super endurance, but elemental magic came from our energy. And nobody's energy could last forever. If he kept using his powers, he could pass out or worse.

_BOOM!_

Cole's earth wall shattered and a giant dragon burst through. I gaped. And I thought the Hungarian Horntail was bad. This thing was made that dragon look like a toy. The monster roared and spikes of rock poured out of its mouth. I shoved Cole and we stumbled out of the way. The spikes split what little was left of the stairs instead. There was no going back that way.

The dragon turned and roared again. We dodged, but my foot hit a rock and I tumbled to the ground. Cole managed to pull me up, and we sprinted behind one of the boulders, but we couldn't keep this up forever.

"We need to get out of here!" I yelled.

"I'm trying," Cole replied. He jammed the scythe into the ground, but the earth barely moved. Sweat poured down his forehead, and I thought he was going to faint.

"Okay, new plan…" I said slowly. I glanced around the canyon. There was no way we could climb it. If we had our brooms we could fly out… That's it!

I yanked out my wand and yelled, "_Accio_ broomstick!"

Earth spikes shattered our boulder and the impact sent us flying. I didn't even have to scream before the ground knocked the air out of me. Then the pain caught up with me. My hands burned, my face ached, and it hurt to breathe. I tried to push it away. I had to concrete on the broomstick. If I didn't, the spell wouldn't work and then we'd be stuck down here. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't fail again.

I squeezed my eyes shut and reached. Come on, come on! What was taking so long?

"Kai!" Cole screamed, and the dragon reared its head. I crawled toward Cole before it could try to bury me again. Now would be a great time, if the broomstick ever wanted to show up.

I glanced up and there was a small black speck in the sky that seemed to be getting bigger. I grinned. We just had to hold on a little longer. The dragon roared, and this time, I wasn't sure I couldn't dodge. I raised my arm and willed the broom to come faster.

"Kai!" Cole yelped, right as my hand grasped the handle. We jumped on and I leaned forward with all my might. Dust burned in my eyes and nose and throat, but we weren't dead. That's all that matters. We flew out of the crack and landed next to the others.

I barely set foot on the ground when arms crushed me and my chest burned. "Can't-breathe," I gasped. I must have broken a rib while running from the dragon. Nya didn't let go.

"I told you to be more careful! You promised me!" She yelled, squeezing me tighter and tighter.

"Nya— I-I'm sorry," I choked. Every breath was painful. Nya began to blur and I felt like I was going to be sick. Finally she let go, and I managed to take a few more breaths.

"You're hurt!" Nya gasped.

I drew in another raspy breath. "Yeah… that's what I was trying to tell you."

Nya shook her head. "Kai…"

"I'll be alright," I said, quickly cutting her off. "I just need time." I took a deep breath, but that was a mistake. My ribs flared and I doubled over.

"You are not alright," Zane interjected. "Your ribs are broken."

"What?" Nya demanded looking from Zane to me. I went to protest, but then I started wheezing all over again. "How are we going to get you back? We can't fly you on a broomstick."

"I'll be fine. Really."

"No, you won't," Nya growled, "You'll hurt your ribs even more."

"Well, how else are we going to get home?" I snapped. "We don't have any other way back!"

Nya froze, torn between protecting me and reality. I sighed, and immediately regretted it. Was not looking forward the shaky broom ride home.

"Perhaps with a freezing charm, we could…"

"Yes!" Nya cried, cutting Zane off with a quick hug. He stiffened and looked like all his circuits had overloaded. I rolled my eyes.

"Zane, that's perfect!" Nya said, and she whipped out her wand and pointed it right me. "_Immobulus!" _

Suddenly, I couldn't move. I couldn't even breathe. I couldn't keep my balance and I toppled backwards. I couldn't throw out my arms or twist or do _anything_. I could only stare at the sky as I fell…

Strong arms caught me and gently lowered me to the ground. "Thanks, Cole, I—" Nya's voice trailed off. I wished I could see her face. I couldn't tell… Was she crying? I hoped not. "I wasn't thinking—"

"It's okay," Cole said. "We're all worried about him."

I groaned, or at least I tried to. The freezing charm was still as strong as ever. Zane and Cole set me on a broomstick and conjured ropes so I wouldn't fall off the back.

"Is he going to be alright?" Lloyd asked, his voice quivering. I tried to tell him I'd be fine, but the freezing charm stopped me. I growled, but I couldn't even clench my fists or conjure a flame to vent my frustration. I _hated_ being so helpless.

"He will be fine," Zane assured him. That should be me. I should be flashing Lloyd a cocky smile and saying something snarky like "I've been through worse," and Lloyd would give a hesitant smile back. Nya would tease me and Cole would laugh and everything would be fine. But I couldn't. I was trapped.

Nya sighed. "Kai's done a lot of stupid things, but he usually manages to get himself out of it. With a little help, of course."

I wished she wouldn't talk like I wasn't here. I could still _hear,_ even if I couldn't so much as blink. Lloyd didn't say anything, and since I couldn't see his face, I had no idea if he felt better or not. I hoped he was okay.

My stomach lurched and we lifted into the air. I watched as we rushed past the clouds and as faint pinks and oranges leaked across the sky. At some point, I must have dosed off, because I woke up in the Infirmary. I groaned and stretched, blood flowing back into my limbs. _Finally,_ the spell wore off.

"You're awake!" Nya cried. I blinked and my sister pulled me into another hug.

"Wha…" I cleared my throat and tried again, "What happened?"

Nya pulled away. "Well, we hid the scythe with the Sword of Fire and Mistaké managed to heal your ribs and the worse of your cuts, but…" She stared at my face. The left side of my face. Where my scar was. Oh no. Mistaké warned me that the concealment charm would wear off, but why now of all the possible times?

"Why didn't you tell me?" Nya said. Surprisingly, she didn't sound angry, just disappointed. Somehow that was worse.

I winced. "Nya," I said, trying to a get a reaction, something. I couldn't stand her staring at me like that. "I–I didn't want you to worry—"

She scoffed. "Didn't want me to worry? Kai! We've gone through _everything_ together! If you're hurt, I want to know!" Then, just as quickly as it came, Nya deflated.

I felt awful. "Nya…"

She bristled. "What else aren't you telling me?" she snapped. "You've got some other scars I should know about?"

"Nya—"

"Tell me!" she yelled.

"No," I said. "This is the only one." Nya still didn't look convinced. "I promise," I added. "It's just…" I didn't want to admit it, but Nya probably wouldn't trust me unless I did. And I needed Nya to trust me. Without her… I didn't know what I'd do.

"I didn't want you to see me with a scar. It's just so… _hideous," _I spat. "I guess I was just ashamed. I didn't want you stare, to see me like this." I sighed and leaned back against the pillows. "I'm sorry."

Nya let out a long breath through her nose and sat down on the bed next to me. "I know," she said at last. I didn't know what to say to that. My little sister looked so sad and for once I didn't know how to make her feel better.

"I was so scared," Nya said after a moment. "You scare me. You're always rushing off to save the world, but…" she took a deep shuddering breath. "One of these days, you're not going to come back."

"Nya…" I said again, "Once we get the Golden Weapons and stop the Overlord, I promise I'll stop. We'll have a normal school year for once."

Nya gave me a look. "Kai, I know you won't stop." I opened my mouth to protest, but she cut me off. "Just promise me you'll be more careful and let us take care of you. You don't have to save the world yourself, you know."

I nodded, but if came down to protecting my sister or going off by myself, I would go off by myself every time. "I promise I'll be careful," I said. Not a complete lie. I refused to die and leave Nya alone.

Nya gave me a smile and squeezed my hand. "Thank you," she whispered. I gave her a faint smile back.

* * *

Finally, Mistaké deemed me well and we left the Infirmary. We met up with the others in the library and for a moment, none of us said anything.

Then Cole asked, "What now?"

"We have yet to find the Nunchucks of Lightning and Shurikens of Ice," Zane said.

"Do we have any idea where they are?" I asked.

"Nope," Cole muttered.

I glanced at Zane, but he just shook his head. I sighed. "So we're back to square one."

The others groaned, when, surprisingly, Jay spoke up. "Actually, I think I know where the nunchucks are."

We all stared at him. "Really?" Lloyd asked.

Jay nodded. "The Floating Ruins, it's near the power station, not too far from my house."

Nya gave Jay a strange look. "Why didn't you mention this sooner?" she demanded.

Jay dropped gaze, and I glared at Nya. "It doesn't matter," I said. "We know where we're going now."

Nya stared at Jay, but didn't say anything.

"So, we'll leave for the Floating Ruins tomorrow," I said.

One by one everyone nodded, but Nya still looked uncertain. I just hoped that this mission would go better than the last one.

* * *

**AN: So, what'd you think? What's Nadakhan planning? What'll happen to Jay? Will Nya find out?**

**On a personal note, I'm getting a little nervous about continuing to post every Friday since I'm starting to catch up to what I've pre-written, but hopefully I'll be able to keep going for awhile. I won't give up on this story though, even though it may take some time to finish. Thanks to all my reviewers and people who continue to follow and favorite this story! It really means a lot to me and inspires me to keep going! **

**See you all soon!**


	6. Interlude Trapped (POV Nya)

Interlude: Trapped (Nya POV)

Nya stared at Jay. He was acting… really weird. When they got back, the first thing Jay asked about was the scythe. Not how was she or if they were safe. Nya had brushed it off then. She was more worried about Kai, but now, she couldn't ignore it.

Jay wasn't making any of his usual sarcastic comments, complaints, or jokes. He was being quiet. Too quiet.

And conveniently remembering where the Nunchucks were? That was a definite red flag. If the Jay she knew had heard the Nunchucks of Lightning were in the Floating Ruins, he would have mentioned it before now and he wouldn't have avoided the question. Jay loved to explain things and could talk forever. It was annoying and endearing at the same time. Instead, 'Jay' dropped his gaze and looked almost intimidated.

When everyone finished talking, Jay tried to leave the room first. Nya frowned and cut him off. "Jay, can I talk to you for a moment?" she asked.

"Of course," he said. They walked back to the private nook where no one would overhear them and Jay sat down, his hands lying idly in his lap. Not fidgeting, not grabbing his scarf, just lying still. Nya frowned. She had known Jay for the past five years since she first came to school. He _never_ lay still.

"What's wrong?" Nya asked.

Jay blinked and had the audacity to look shocked. "Nothing," he said.

"Jay…" Nya pressed, trying to get him to open up.

"Yes?" he asked. Nya frowned. There was the whole… air about him. Like Jay was pretending to be something he's not. Jay was usually more honest, especially when it was just the two of them.

"You're not acting like yourself," Nya said.

"What do you mean?" Jay asked. Way too formally.

Nya crossed her arms. "Ever since we got back, you've been acting like a completely different person. What's happened to you?" Nya remembered Lloyd and the whole Morro issue. "You haven't been possessed have you?"

Jay's eyes widened in the perfect picture of shock. "No! Why would you say that?"

Nya growled. "Jay, everything about you is just… _wrong_. You're too timid, you're not fidgeting, and you look like you're acting instead of being a real person. Now tell me what's going on!"

Jay's face twisted into a sneer. "Very clever, girl. I can see why he likes you."

In one horrible moment, Jay melted away and a strange man took his place. Nya backed away. "Who are you? What have you done with Jay?"

The man stood up and drew out his wand. Nya quickly drew hers and the stranger laughed. "I am Nadakhan, and as for your friend, well…" He trailed off, shrugging in a mock helpless manner.

Nya growled. "What did you do to him?"

"Nothing," Nadakhan replied. "I simply granted his wish."

Nya couldn't believe it. Jay wouldn't—he couldn't have— "I don't believe you," she snarled.

Nadakhan smiled, but there was no warmth in his eyes. "Believe what you like. Now, what do you want? I grant your heart's deepest desires, or perhaps," he drew closer and Nya backed away, right into a bookshelf. "You would like to visit your friend? To make sure he's alright?"

Nya shuddered and pushed him back. "I don't want anything from you!" she yelled, and Nadakhan only smiled wider.

"You're going to leave your friend all alone? He waits for you, you know. Every night he cries out your name, hoping you will rescue him—"

"Stop it!" Nya cried. She could see Jay, hurting and alone, waiting, but she wasn't coming. Nya shook her head. Nadakhan was messing with her. It wasn't real. Jay would be fine. But what if he wasn't? Nadakhan had taken Jay's place. The real Jay could be anywhere. He could be hurt or tortured or dea—

Nya forced the thought away and pointed her wand at Nadakhan's throat. "Why should I believe a word you're saying?"

Nadakhan chuckled and pushed the wand away. Nya tried to fight it, but the strange man easily overpowered her, like she was nothing more than a fly. "Because I am a generous man who takes great pleasure in helping those less fortunate than myself."

Oh, he was enjoying himself all right. He was enjoying every minute of Nya's suffering. "What if I say no?" Nya demanded. She didn't want any part of Nadakhan's games.

Nadakhan's smile faded. "It's your choice, of course. If you would rather leave your friend to die…"

Nya's breath caught in her throat. She would never see Jay's smile again, or hear one of his awful jokes, or build something together, or feel his warm hand over hers, or _see Jay ever_. No. Nadakhan was lying. He had to be. This was all part of some elaborate plan.

"Would you like to see him?" Nadakhan whispered. Nya didn't answer. She couldn't, but Nadakhan cast the spell anyway. There he was. Jay. Lying in a dark cell, covered with dirt and sweat. He was cradling his arm to his chest and he looked… awful.

"Nya?" he moaned. "Is that you?"

"Jay?" Nya gasped, reaching out, but the vision faded. She turned around and Nadakhan smirked.

"So?" Nadakhan asked. "Will you go to him?"

Nya opened her mouth, but her voice wouldn't work. It had to be a lie. It had to be. But… if he was giving her the option, how bad could one wish be? She couldn't leave Jay alone. And if there was a chance to save him…

"I wish I could go to Jay," she said at last.

Nadakhan smirked. "Your wish is yours to keep."

A flick of his wand and Nya found herself in a dank cell. She couldn't see anything. Nadakhan was lying. She should have known. Why did she believe for even a moment that twisted, sadistic man would ever—

"Nya?" Jay croaked. "Are you really here?"

Nya turned around and there he was. In an instant she was by his side. "Yes, Jay. I'm here."

Jay leaned his head back. "Then he got you too."

Nya hung her head. "I'm sorry. I—"

"It's alright," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. "We're together now," he whispered. "We'll figure something out."

Nya smiled, blinking the tears from her eyes. Her voice caught in her throat and she could only nod. Jay was trying to be brave, but she could tell he was terrified.

"Kai will come for us," Nya tried to reassure him. "He'll realize I'm gone and then he'll burst in at the last minute to save the day."

Jay laughed, when suddenly light poured from above. A big blue woman leered down into the cell, plucking a strand of hair from Nya's scalp.

"Hey!" Nya yelped. "What'd you think you're—"

"Making a polyjuice potion. Your brother's not going to find you for awhile," the woman answered.

Nya glowered. "Kai won't fall for it! He'll see through you!"

The woman smirked. "We'll see."

* * *

**AN: Oh snap! Another one bites the dust. ;)**

** This story has been a lot of fun to write, and I know what I want to happen next... but it's really hard to sit down and write it. I've caught up to my pre-written stuff, so you guys will probably get one more chapter next Friday and then I'll be posting more ****sporadically. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed this story! You guys are awesome and I want to let you know I won't give up on this story, it just might take awhile. **


	7. Into the Storm

Chapter 5: Into the Storm

I sighed. Another sleepless night. I kept having nightmares about… something. It was different every time, but in the end I always got electrocuted. I shivered. I tried to brush it off as just a dream, but since we were going after the Nunchucks of Lightning… I just hoped nothing happened. Who was I kidding though? With our luck, something was _bound_ to happen.

I went to the library, where Zane, Nya, and surprisingly Jay were already waiting for me. We exchanged greetings, and shortly after Lloyd arrived, followed by Cole carrying a hearty breakfast.

"What?" he said through a mouthful of food. "You can't expect me to go on another mission with an empty stomach."

I smiled and shook my head. Good old Cole.

"So seriously, what's the plan?" Cole asked.

I shrugged. "Same as last time? Someone stays behind while the rest of us go to the Floating Ruins and then we all come home happy."

I expected protests, but strangely enough, everyone was nodding.

"I'll stay behind this time," Lloyd said. "You guys go ahead."

I frowned, but the big brother in me said it was for the best. Lloyd was still only a fourth year after all. He really shouldn't be coming along on dangerous missions. Still, some part of me wanted to keep Lloyd by my side where I can make sure he's safe.

"I'll stay with him," Jay offered, almost as if he could read my thoughts. "Help protect the weapons and Lloyd."

"I thought you were going to take us through the Floating Ruins," Cole said. "Since it's by your house."

"W-well, I thought I'd be more useful here, since I don't really do much anyways. And Zane can take you, right?"

Zane nodded. "I have done adequate research on the Floating Ruins and I believe I can guide everyone. You do not have to go, if you do not want to."

"See?" Jay said. "You guys will be better off without me."

"I wouldn't say that," I said, not wanting to ignore Jay. He was one of our friends, and I know he's struggled with self-esteem in the past… I looked to Nya for support, but she just shrugged. I frowned. I thought my sister would be rushing to Jay's defense, but oh well. If they're not together, who am I to complain? I never liked them together anyways.

"If that's what you want…" Cole said slowly.

Jay nodded. "I'll be fine. Really."

"Okay," I said, not really enthusiastic about leaving Jay behind two times in a row.

Lloyd glanced at the clock. "You guys better get going. The rest of the school's going to be waking up soon."

"You sure you're going to be okay?" I asked.

"We'll be fine," Lloyd assured us.

"Go," Jay added, and finally, after another few minutes of goodbyes and standing around and prodding from Jay and Lloyd, we left the library. None of us liked leaving our friends behind.

* * *

Soon we were on our brooms and flying toward the Floating Ruins. With Zane guiding us, we made it just fine, but I still would've liked Jay with us. Soon, we approached a giant cyclone thing filled with little islands and sparking with lightning.

"So…" Cole said. "What now?"

"I would not advise entering the ruins. The electric shock could stop your heart," Zane warned.

"Well, we have to get in there somehow," I said. "How did Wu put the Nunchucks here in the first place?"

"Perhaps the lightning is a result of the Nunchucks, so Wu would not have had an issue," Zane replied.

I growled. "Not helping."

Zane frowned. "My apologizes. I was only trying to—"

"Guys, come on!"

I glanced over at Nya, who was waving from a small island just barely outside the electric storm. In her other hand was some kind of weird chain/weapon thing? I couldn't really tell. I urged my broom forward and landed right next to Nya.

"So, where'd you get the chain?" I asked.

Nya shot me a look, but for some reason I didn't know what it meant. "It's a two-chained anchor," she corrected. "It's from a conjuration spell I whipped up a while back. I used it to pull this island out of the storm so we wouldn't get fried. You're welcome."

I frowned. I guess that makes sense… but something about Nya's tone was off. Was she still mad at me for what happened with scythe and my scar? She seemed more sarcastic than usual.

"I did not know you experimented with spells," Zane said, interrupting my thoughts. "That is a very dangerous hobby. If you are not careful, you could be dismembered or even killed."

Nya shrugged. "I know what I'm doing."

I gaped. And she got mad at me for trying to save Cole? I couldn't believe it. That didn't seem like my sister at all, playing with dangerous spells and keeping it a secret from me.

"Uh… guys?" Cole interrupted. "You might want to see this."

I shook my head and joined Cole. I'd worry about Nya later. Right now we needed to get the Nunchucks and get out of here.

"What is it?" I asked, and Cole pointed to the very top of the cyclone where I could spot a flash of gold. The nunchucks!

"How do we get up there?" I asked.

"Leave it to me," Nya said and shoved to the front, swinging her two-chained anchor and tossing up into the storm. The wind blew it off course and the anchor came back empty. Nya grit her teeth and began to swing it again.

Zane quickly grabbed her arm. "With the amount of electricity in the air, swinging a metal chain may—"

"I don't care!" she growled and yanked her arm back. "We need those Nunchucks!"

"But they're not worth dying for!" Cole shouted.

"Well, how do _you_ suggest we get through there?" Nya snapped, but at least she stopped swinging the chain.

"Um…"

"Exactly." Nya turned back to the cyclone and I grabbed her arm before she could through the chain again.

"Don't touch me!" She yelled, wrestling away from me. I was going to lose her. I was going to lose my little sister and it was going to be all my fault.

A scream tore through my throat. "Wait!" I cried, trying to do something, anything to get her to stop. "I'm sure we can come up with something else that won't get us all killed."

"Like what?" Nya growled.

"Like…" Blood roared in my ears and my heart was still beating a mile a minute and I couldn't hear myself think. Why couldn't I think? I had to save my sister.

"Perhaps I could serve as a lightning rod while you grab the Nunchucks," Zane suggested.

"What?" I asked, hoping I didn't hear him right. That was just as dangerous as chucking a metal chain into the lightning storm. I couldn't let Zane sacrifice himself for us.

"As an android, I am largely made up of metal. I can channel the electricity away, allowing you to reach the Nunchucks safely," Zane explained.

How could he look so calm? He was going to toss himself into a lightning storm. He could be killed! "We can't let you do that!" I said.

"Why not?" Nya asked. "It's his choice."

How could she _sound_ so calm? Zane's her friend too. What has gotten into my sister?

"Why not? Zane could be fried! Or worse!" Cole said. So it wasn't just me.

"Thank you!" I said.

"Perhaps, but my systems are designed with insulators that should protect my vital functions."

"Should isn't good enough," I snapped. "Zane, there has to be another way."

Zane frowned. "There is no other logical solution I can think of with less risk. You would do the same for us, regardless of the consequences. Let me do the same."

No. I couldn't let Zane risk his life for some nunchucks, even if they ended up creating the Golden Master. "But that was different!"

"How?" Zane asked. The worst part is that he wasn't angry or defensive. He was just curious, and I couldn't find a good answer.

I sighed. "Maybe it isn't. But I don't want you risking your life for this."

"Kai, just let him do it," Nya said.

I glanced at Cole, looking for some support, but he just shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "If you're sure it's the only way…" he said.

Zane nodded.

"Then… be careful, tin can," Cole teased, but I could tell his heart wasn't in it.

"I will," Zane promised, and with that, he mounted his broom and flew toward island right in the middle of the storm. Lightning flashed and struck him on the head. His body glowed and thrashed and he nearly fell off his broom. Then the lightning rushed into the ground and the moment passed. I let out breath I didn't even know I'd held, even as the thunder boomed in my ears.

But then another bolt of lightning hit Zane. And another. Each time he got back up, but…

"Are you coming or do I have to get the nunchucks myself?" Nya called.

I shook my head and mounted my broom. Zane was doing this for us. I couldn't let his sacrifice go to waste. Cole shot me a sympathetic glance but didn't say anything. We didn't have time to.

We dodged islands and clouds—just because Zane was acting as our lightning rod didn't mean we were going to deliberately fly in an electric cloud—trying to reach the top. I glanced back and Zane was off his broom and on the island, sparking non-stop. I had to hurry.

I leaned forward and willed the broom to go faster. I could see the nunchucks. They were flashing behind a cloud. Taunting me. I pushed myself flat against the handle and reached as hard as I could. Metal brushed my fingers and I snatched nunchucks out of the air. Immediately, the storm stopped. I almost laughed. It was so simple.

I turned around and Zane was lying on the ground. I rushed over to his side and Cole was right next to me.

"Zane?" I asked. No answer.

"Zane!" Cole yelled, but Zane didn't even twitch.

No. No. This wasn't happening. Zane said he'd be fine. He had to be okay. He had to be. But he wasn't moving. He wasn't even breathing. Did androids need to breathe?

I shook his shoulder. "Zane? Get up! Zane! Zane!"

Nothing. This was my fault. I shouldn't have let him do this. I should have thought of something else, done something, anything.

Zane shifted and I froze. Was he oka— But then Cole slung Zane over his shoulder like a rag doll.

"We got to get him back," Cole said. "Maybe Mistaké knows what to do."

I nodded dully. Yeah. Mistaké could fix this. Or if that didn't work Borg, or we could call Zane's father. Zane was going to be okay.

* * *

"His power source has been overloaded. We can call Doctor Julien, but…" Professor Borg trailed off. I swallowed. If Mistaké and Borg, professor of magic and technology _and_ the father of Pixal, couldn't fix him then… No. Doctor Julien was Zane's father, his creator. He would figure something out.

"Okay," I said. "Thank you."

Borg nodded and rolled out of the Infirmary. I turned back to Zane.

He looked so peaceful. His eyes closed and hands neatly at his sides, like he was resting. But he was still. Too still to be sleeping.

Lifeless.

That's what Zane was now. Because of me.

Nya was right. I wanted to play the hero and the get the Golden Weapons, but now that Zane had paid the price… Was it worth it? I mean, once we had one of the weapons the Overlord couldn't become the Golden Master. It was so simple now that I thought about it. I was stupid. So, so stupid.

"I'm so sorry, Zane," I whispered. Even though he couldn't hear me. Even though he may never hear me— no. Doctor Julien would fix him. He had to.

Cole put a hand on my shoulder. "It's not your fault," he said. "Zane knew the risks. We all did."

"I should've done more."

"There was nothing else we _could_ do," Cole said. I looked back toward Zane. How could he look so peaceful after everything that happened?

"Hey," Cole said. "I miss him too."

I nodded, but I couldn't take my eyes off of Zane. I got us into this mess. I let this happen. I did this to my friend.

"We're going to get through this, Kai," Cole said. I couldn't answer. I couldn't be sure anymore. But we had to. It had to be okay. I couldn't live with myself if Zane never woke up again because of me—

"Alright, Kai?" Cole said.

I blinked and glanced back at Cole. He looked really worried. "Yeah, alright."

Cole frowned. "You have no idea what I just said, do you?"

I shook my head. "Sorry. Just… a lot on my mind."

"It's okay," Cole said. "Zane's going to be okay, and I'm going to get some dinner if you want to join me."

Was it that late already? I guess between the flight home and all the examinations time really flew by. It was amazing how little time we all had…

Cole was still staring at me and I quickly shook my head. "I'm alright."

Cole raised his eyebrow.

"Really," I insisted, but he still didn't budge. Stubborn earth wizard to the end. I sighed. "I'll join you in a bit."

"Okay," he said, and then he finally left.

I didn't want to break my promise to Cole, but I also didn't want to leave Zane. How could I, after what I did? I waited, hoping Zane would move, even just a twitch, _something_ to let me know he was alive.

"Hey, Cole sent me to get you. Says he's going to eat your plate if you don't hurry," Nya said.

I hadn't been gone that long… had I? "Okay, be down in a bit," I replied.

Nya didn't leave though. "We got the Nunchucks. That's what matters."

What? "How could you say that?" I snapped. "Zane's your friend! No weapon is worth his life ever!"

Nya looked at me like I was crazy. "Are you saying he sacrificed himself for nothing?"

I growled. "No— that's not— that's not what I meant."

"Good," she said flatly.

"Are you okay?" I asked. Nya had been so… uncaring lately. It wasn't like my sister at all. But we had been through a lot lately and after breaking down in front of me… maybe this was her way of coping?

"Never better," Nya said with a smirk. Almost like mine…

"O–kay then," I said. I was probably just tired. It'd been a really, really long day. I glanced back at Zane.

"He's not going to get better if you keep staring at him," Nya said. I sighed. She's right, but at the same time…

"Come on," she said and dragged me out of the room. I protested, but Nya had a grip of iron. Finally I just gave up. This was probably best anyways. Nya was right. Standing around in the Infirmary wasn't going to do anything. We needed action, and I wasn't going to give up now.

* * *

**AN: Dun. Dun. DUN! Sorry about the cliffhanger. ;) But don't worry. I have a plan. So now I'm completely out of material to post. But I've got the whole story planned out so the next update shouldn't take too, too long. Hopefully.**

**Huge thanks to all my reviewers and people who've favorited/followed this story. Specially shout out to NaninaDaPanda and JBomb217 for faithfully reviewing every single chapter. You guys make my day and encourage me to keep going. I'll try to update as soon as possible, but I probably won't be next Friday. **


	8. Interlude Lloyd POV

**AN: Hey everybody! Sorry it's been awhile. Before They Were Ninja took way longer to write then I thought. And sorry this is pretty short. Hopefully I'll get another, longer chapter out soon.**

* * *

**Interlude: Your Wish Is Yours to Keep (Lloyd's POV)**

Lloyd couldn't focus in class. He kept thinking about Kai and the others. He was sure they'd be all right—Kai loved to brag about all the crazy adventures they'd survived before—but he couldn't help but wonder. How long was it supposed to take? It'd been six hours already, but the mission to the Wailing Alps took nearly a day, so there was no reason to be worried yet.

_They're fine_, he told himself. Still, when class finally ended, Lloyd rushed to library to try and find Jay. Maybe he had some ideas of things they could do while they waited for the others to get back, or even better, a way to help them. Jay was great with mechanics, maybe he could make a magic drone or something to make sure everyone was all right. Not that they wouldn't be, but just in case.

But Jay wasn't in the library. At least, not that Lloyd could see. "Jay!" he called. "Are you there?"

The librarian gave him an evil glare and Lloyd dropped his voice to a whisper. "Sorry."

He kept looking up and down the aisles of bookshelves, but eventually, he realized that Jay wasn't here. Which made sense, now that Lloyd thought about it. Jay must have a life outside the gang's library hangouts. The problem was he didn't know where to look. Lloyd kinda felt bad he didn't know his friend enough to know where he might like to hang out. Maybe Borg's classroom or the mechanics lab?

But Jay wasn't there either. Lloyd frowned. He was running out of ideas. Maybe his father's old hut? A lot of supplies and things were still there, and it was great place to hang out of sight.

It was chilly outside, the wind whipping through Lloyd's kimono. He shivered, rubbing his arms to try and keep warm. Fortunately, the hut wasn't too much farther. Unfortunately, it looked empty and completely abandoned. Lloyd sighed. At this rate he might be better off just waiting for Kai and the others to get back.

Just as Lloyd was about to turn back, the wind broke, allowing him to catch a heavily accented voice, so soft Lloyd almost thought he'd imagined it. "Everything is going according to plan. The young wizards are practically bringing all the Golden Weapons to me. They went to retrieve the last one now."

"Excellent," a haunting familiar voice replied. Lloyd's breath hitched in his chest. The Overlord. He had to get out of here and find Jay. He'd know what to do, how to get a message out Kai. There was a spy in the school and the Overlord was about to become unstoppable.

* * *

Lloyd dashed into the school, heart racing, before he suddenly realized he still had no idea where Jay was. How did Kai manage to get everyone together all the time? Lloyd tried to think, but his mind was blanking.

_An owl!_ Lloyd thought suddenly. An owl could find someone anywhere. He rushed down the hallways, and up the winding staircases, adrenaline flooding his system. He quickly scrawled out a message.

_Meet me in the library. Now. There's a spy working for the Overlord in the school and I don't know what to do. Please help. —Lloyd._

* * *

Lloyd got to the library way too quickly and now he had to wait. Every second felt like an eternity, and it seemed like a lifetime since he'd overheard the spy. What was taking Jay so long? Footsteps jerked Lloyd out of his thoughts, but it wasn't Jay. Instead, it was a strange man Lloyd had never seen before.

"You ought to be more careful when you send distress calls," he said. "You never know who might intercept them."

Lloyd froze. This man was the spy. He was the spy and he knew Lloyd knew.

"What do you want? What'd you do to Jay?" he demanded, trying to keep his voice from shaking. All the while, he reached into his pocket to grab his wand. This probably wasn't going to end well.

The man smiled, but it didn't match his eyes. "Nothing that he didn't wish for. And as for I want, well, I only want to help you. Do you want to find your friend? I can show you where he is."

"Yeah, right." Lloyd said. He tried to walk past the stranger, but he blocked the way.

"No, really," the man purred. "I can grant any of your wishes, whatever you desire."

Lloyd tried going the other way, but he was blocked again. Lloyd tightened his grip on his wand. He was probably going to have to force his way out. "No thank you."

The stranger had the nerve to look wounded. "You don't want to see your friend? Don't you care what happens to him?"

Lloyd clenched his teeth. _Don't let him get to you. Don't let him get to you—_

"But, if you don't want," he said, stepping out of Lloyd's way. "You can just leave your poor little friends all alone…"

"Friends?" Lloyd asked in spite of himself. Had the others been captured too?

"Would like to see them?"

Lloyd shook his head. "No. You're lying. My friends are fine."

The stranger's smile turned deadly, and Lloyd knew that his friends weren't fine at all. "Are you willing to take that risk?" The man asked.

No. No he wasn't. He couldn't let them suffer—but this man was a spy for the Overlord. He couldn't be trusted. Lloyd swallowed. "Why should I believe you? I don't even know your name."

"My name is Nadakhan. As for trust, I'm a captain. And a captain keeps his word." He looked genuine enough, but so did any good spy. That's how they got you.

"But you work for the Overlord," Lloyd said.

Nadakhan snarled. "I do not _work_ for that _thing_. We merely have an… arrangement that suits my purposes. I'm a captain. My actions are entirely _my own_."

For the first time, Lloyd actually believed him. And even if Nadakhan was lying, his friends needed him. He couldn't let them down. "So… you'll actually grant my wish?"

Nadakhan nodded. "Of course."

Lloyd took a deep breath. "Okay, then. I wish…" He frowned trying to find the right words. "I wish could see my friends right now."

Nadakhan smiled. "Your wish is yours to keep." He waved his wand and two images appeared. One of Kai, Nya, Cole and Zane, who were making their way back now, and one that was just… black. Lloyd swallowed.

"Is that where Jay and Nya are?" he asked.

Nadakhan just shrugged. "Perhaps."

"Can I see them?"

"I can take you to them." Nadakhan said, eyes glinting.

Lloyd frowned. Everything in him was screaming this was a bad idea, but he needed to make sure the two of them were all right. And if it was a trap, they could force their way out. He was the green wizard after all.

"I wish you would take to me to where Jay and Nya are," Lloyd said.

Nadakhan smirked and Lloyd realized he'd been played from start to finish.

"Your wish is yours to keep."

* * *

When the golden light faded, Lloyd found himself in a dark cell.

"So he got you too?" Nya asked.

Lloyd nodded, only to realize it was dark and she couldn't see him. Not that the answer mattered. He was here in a cell, after all. But it wasn't too late. He pulled out his wand.

"_Bom—!"_

_"Expelliarmus!" _Someone else shouted. Lloyd's wand flew out of his hand up to a pirate with a mustache. "You ain't goin' nowhere," he said. "And don't even think about tryin' to escape again." He raised his wand in warning and Lloyd swallowed. Then the man turned and left. Lloyd hung his head in shame. He'd tried to save his friends and he failed. Now Kai and the others were walking into a trap and the Overlord was going to get the Golden Weapons and it would be all his fault. Lloyd began to shake. He couldn't stop.

A hand began to rub circles in his back. "It's okay, Lloyd," Nya murmured. "None of us have been able to get out."

"Yeah, don't feel too bad," Jay added.

Lloyd shook his head, but he couldn't speak. He could only hope that Kai or Cole or Zane would figure it out before it was too late.

* * *

**AN: Yet another member of the gang bites the dust. But now Nadakhan's getting ready to make his move, so this book will be wrapping up relatively soon. I'll post another chapter for this story and then I'll go back to Before They Were Ninja. I want to give a huge shout out to NaninaDaPanda, JBomb217, and Nerdeology-000 for reviewing last chapter. You guys are awesome. And another huge thank you to people who continue to read, favorite and follow this story. All of you lovely people keep me writing. And JBomb217, I will be continuing this story, so don't worry. :)**

**Hope you guys enjoyed this update! See you next chapter!**


	9. Can This Get Any Worse?

**AN: Hey guys! Sorry this took longer than I thought it would. Certain sections kept fighting with me, and then I thought I'd lost all my progress for at one point, and that was massively discouraging. Fortunately I found it again, and now here it is. Hope you enjoy. :)**

* * *

Chapter 6: Can This Get Any Worse?

I slowly picked at my food. I wasn't really that hungry. Not with Zane sitting in the Infirmary. I sighed, and Nya glared at me.

"Are you going to be depressed all evening and drag the rest of us down with you, or can we have a nice dinner for once?" Nya said.

Didn't she care at all? "But Zane—"

"Is going to stay in the infirmary, whether you mope or not." And then she went back to ignoring me, taking another large bite of fish.

I glanced at Cole and he shrugged. "She kinda has a point."

"I guess…" I said, but normally Nya wouldn't be so mean about it. I looked back at her just in time to catch her taking an aggressive bite of her food. I winced. I wouldn't want to be the fish right then. Something was wrong.

"You sure you're alright?" I asked.

"Yep," Nya replied, mouth still full of fish. "I'm fine. Why?"

"You been acting strange," I said. "Did something happen, or—"

"I said I'm fine!" she snapped. "Now, if you excuse me, I'm going to find Jay."

"Nya—"

"Don't try and stop me," she growled. Nya stormed out of the dining hall and disappeared out of sight.

I turned back to Cole. "That was definitely weird, right?"

"Yeah," he said. "Jay's been acting weird too. I invited him to dinner with us, but he said he had something else to take care of. He's been distant ever since we went to the Wailing Alps."

"Maybe we should follow them," I suggested.

Cole blinked. "You sure?"

"If they won't tell us what's going on… we should find out for ourselves," I said.

Cole didn't look convinced though. "I don't know. Remember what happened with Lloyd when we tried to force answers out of him?"

"It won't be like that," I insisted. "Besides, we found out what was wrong."

"We had to knock him out, erase his memories and then he wouldn't talk to us for weeks!" Cole snapped. "I don't want that to happen again!"

"He was _possessed_. That wasn't our fault," I argued.

Cole glared, but then he changed tactics. "Do you even know where Nya went?"

I opened my mouth, then closed it again. I didn't. "We'll figure it out," I said.

"So you don't have a plan?" Cole said it like a statement, and frustration boiled in my chest.

"Not yet, but I'll come up with something," I said, trying to keep my voice level. I needed Cole on my side. If both Jay and Nya were acting strange, then I'd rather not face them alone.

Cole sighed. "Kai, we can't keep rushing in like this. Otherwise, we'll just make things worse."

"But Nya and Jay need our help now!" I snapped. "Besides, you never had a problem with this before!"

Cole couldn't meet my gaze. "You're right. I—we've, followed you without question. And, yeah, it usually works out. But what if it doesn't? Last year you almost lost your powers, and now Zane…" he trailed off and we both sat in silence. "The point is, we can't keep doing this. There's got to be a better way."

I knew making plans wasn't really my strong suit, but there wasn't time to think everything through. Sometimes it was better to just act. Sure, it didn't always go smoothly, but it always turned out in the end.

_What about Zane? _a voice whispered in the back of my head. Guilt twinged in my stomach, but I ignored it. "Like what?" I asked.

"Well, we could just wait till tomorrow," Cole suggested.

Wait? _Wait?_ Jay and Nya could be in _danger_ and Cole wants to _wait?_ "Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yeah, I am," Cole said, crossing his arms firmly.

"Wha-why?" I asked. "Nya and Jay need us—"

"What if they just want some time alone for themselves?" Cole asked.

"Why would they…"

Cole gave me a look and I answered my own question. I mean, they'd had crushes on each other since second year, and Jay had asked her out to the Yule Ball, but I couldn't picture my little sister being in a _real_ dating relationship with someone. Especially Jay.

"But the strange behavior—"

"Which is why we'll follow up again in the morning," Cole explained like I was a small child.

"What if you're wrong?" I said, trying to get Cole back on my side. "What if they're suffering and we make it worse by waiting?"

"Rushing in isn't going to help either," he argued. "Jay's my best friend. I get it."

"No, you don't!" I yelled. "You don't get it at all! Nya's my sister! I can't just sit back and do nothing while she suffers! If you want to just sit here and wait that's fine, but I'm going to do something!" Then I turned and marched away.

"Kai!" Cole yelled.

I balled my fists and walked faster. I wasn't going to let my little sister suffer, no matter what Cole said.

"Kai, wait!"

"Stop!"

"Kai, you can't do this!" Cole yelled, grabbing my shoulder and forcing me back.

"Yes, I can!" I argued, trying to break away from his grip. "Don't you get it? I need to help them!"

"No, you don't get it," Cole snapped. "Every time you rush in, you make things worse. We barely make it out alive, and then you ask us to go right back in. Sure, it usually works out, but one day it won't. And we're going to lose someone."

I froze, thinking of Zane lying in the infirmary.

Cole saw the look on my face and sighed. "Look, Kai, I want to help Jay and Nya, and we will. Just not right now."

I heard what Cole said, I even got it to an extent, but I just felt numb. How could I live with myself if I did nothing while my little sister was hurt? What if by the time we figured out what was going on, it was too late? I couldn't help but think back to Second year when Nya almost died. I promised that I wouldn't let that happen again, and I couldn't let that happen. I heard Cole sigh again, and tell me he was going to get some rest and I should do the same.

But by then, I'd made up my mind. I began checking my sister's usual hangouts, but she wasn't there. It only proved that something was wrong. So I began to check places that we'd gone to avoid attention from teachers and other students.

After a few hours, I began to wonder if Cole was right. I wasn't getting anywhere. I'd checked Garmadon's hut, the old courtyard, even the Chamber of secrets, but I couldn't find any signs of suspicious activity anywhere. I glanced around the edge of the grounds, but there was nothing suspicious…

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw movement. I turned just in time to catch three figures slip around the corner of the school.

I crept closer, trying to find a hiding spot so they wouldn't notice me. Unfortunately, there was nothing but a few low shrubs that wouldn't cover me at all. So instead, I just poked my head around the corner and hoped it'd be enough.

"I _hate_ this disguise," the largest of the three growled.

"Hang in there, Buttercup," A mustached man said. "This ain't easy for any of us."

Buttercup? That large figure was a woman?

She snorted, then turned to the last figure, an orangish man with a black ponytail. "How much longer do we have to keep this up?" the large woman demanded.

"Not long," he answered in a thick accent. "Soon, we'll have the Golden Weapons and then we can leave this place."

"How soon, Captain?" the mustache asked. "The crew's starting to get restless, and the Overlord ain't too happy either. Especially since you haven't got any of the weapons."

My heart stopped. The Overlord? These guys were working with _the _Overlord?

"Those fools!" the accented man snapped. "They dare question my judgment? After all I've done? All I've sacrificed?"

The other two didn't say anything, they just waited for him to continue. The silence was stifling, and I held my breath so they wouldn't hear me. Then, the captain raised his head. "We will be ready tonight," he said.

The others gasped, and my eyes widened. The weapons were all hidden; there was no way he could find them. Right?

"Captain?" the mustached man asked.

And then the accented man looked straight at me. "Won't we, little Fire boy?"

I froze. This was bad. Really, really bad. I had to get out of here before—

"_Immobulus!"_

My whole body froze and I fell to the ground. My heart pounded in my chest and I couldn't even widen my eyes as the man walked calmly over to me. I was trapped with no way out. I should've just listened to Cole, if I had waited, we could've face him together and then maybe I wouldn't be in this mess.

"What's he got do with this, Captain?" The mustache man asked.

The captain smirked, and not in a good way. "This boy gathered all the weapons for us, and now, he'll tell us where they are."

I hated the confidence that oozed from his voice. I wouldn't tell him anything and he couldn't make me.

He waved his wand and I could move again. I tried to get up, but then the mustached man drew out two pistols. "Don't even think about it," he said.

I wondered if I could reach my wand before he could shoot, before deciding that at this range, that was a very bad idea. I was trapped, even without the freezing spell.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the man said, tilting his down to look at me. "My name is Nadakhan, captain of the Misfortune's Keep."

I glared at him, hating his fake politeness and that smug smile of his.

"So," the captain continuing, not even bothered by my silence. "Where are the golden weapons?"

"Like I'll ever tell you," I spat.

The mustached man cocked his guns in warning, but Nadakhan waved him off. "At ease, Flintlocke. He'll break. After all, I hold all the cards."

That didn't sound good. "What cards?" I asked.

The captain's smile grew even larger, a cold glint in his eye. "I have three of your little friends in the brig," he said, waving his wand. My heart stopped. Jay, Nya, and Lloyd were all huddled together in the brig, looking sick, dirty and miserable. I swallowed.

"And…" Nadakhan continued, and I tore my eyes away from the terrible image to look at him. There was more? "I have a spell that can fix the android in the Infirmary."

There was spell that could fix Zane? Was that possible? It almost sounded too good to be true. "How can I trust you?" I asked. "Once I give you the weapons, you could just betray me."

"I give you my word," he said. "Captain's honor."

I almost snorted. This guy couldn't be serious. I was being held at gun point by people I knew were working with the Overlord and he expected me to trust his word?

"Is that supposed to mean something?" I asked. Nadakhan frowned, and Flintlocke raised his guns a little higher. I quickly added, "You can easily go back on your word. How do I know you'll hold up your end of the deal?"

The captain's frown deepened. I swallowed.

"He's got a point, Captain," Flintlocke said, although he kept his guns pointed at my head.

Nadakhan's expression soured, and I had a feeling Flintlocke was going to pay for that later. "Very well," he said. He waved his wand and conjured a piece of paper. "As a show of my goodwill, here is the spell for your friend. One of your professors should know what to do with it."

I couldn't believe my luck. Was he actually going to give this to me? This had to be some kind of trick, right? Nothing happened. I reached for the paper, but the captain pulled his hand back.

"How can I be sure _you_ will honor _your_ end of the deal and give me the Golden weapons?" Nadakhan said, eyes glinting as he turned my own argument against me.

I sighed. I knew this was too good to be true. Then again, if it meant saving Zane, maybe the Golden Weapons wouldn't be so bad a price to pay. I'm sure we could stop the guy from delivering the Golden Weapons to the Overlord when this was all over.

"What about my friends?" I asked. If I was going to go through with this, I had to make sure everyone would be okay first.

"They will be released after you hand over the weapons," Nadakhan explained. "You get what you want, and I get what I want."

I frowned. "You'll really let them go?"

"Of course," the captain said.

If it meant saving Nya and the others then maybe…

"Do we have a deal?" Nadakhan asked.

Guilt churned in my stomach, and I just hoped I wasn't making a big mistake. But it'd be so much worse if I left my sister to rot.

"Yes," I said at last. "I'll give you the Golden Weapons."

Nadakhan smirked in triumph. "Excellent."

* * *

**AN: And now we approach the climax. :)**

**Nadakhan kept fighting me on this chapter. I don't know why, but I couldn't hear his voice during his dialogue, which is usually how I know if someone is more or less in character. Also the scene with Cole gave me some trouble. I realized the poor guy hasn't had much love in this series. He had the minor plot line with his dad and then I just kinda left him as a background character. My sister said I should give Cole a bigger moment, so that's what I tried to do here.**

**Sorry to leave you guys on a cliffhanger, but now I'm going to go back to my Before They Were Ninja story and get another chapter or two of that posted before I come back to work on this. I want to prioritize both stories, since both are a lot of fun to write, and I want to be fair to fans of both. So, that means it could take a while before I post again. I do know how this all going to end though, I just need to get it all down and iron out the details.**

**Thank you to all the amazing people who review and read this story. You guys encourage me to keep writing and not give up on this series!**

**Have a great day, you guys! God bless.**


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